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Sovereign class
Type: Heavy cruiser Length: 685 meters Beam: 240 meters Height: 88 meters Armament: 16 Type 12 (Refitted), 12 (Basic) phaser arrays, 11 Torpedo Launchers Defenses: Deflector shields The Sovereign-class starships were introduced in the late 24th century. The vessel included some of Starfleet's most recent technological advances. History The Sovereign Project was one of the new defensive technologies initially intended for use against the Borg threat. The prototype, [[USS Sovereign|USS Sovereign]] was still in the design phase during the Battle of Wolf 359. Design History Heavily armed, the design philosophy for the Sovereign class was shaped by the discovery of the Borg. The Sovereign Project attempted to push the envelope as far as possible when it came to computer power, shields, armament and systems capabilities. The Sovereign class starship combined the creature comforts associated with the larger ''Galaxy''-class vessels with the tactical power of the new ''Prometheus''-class. (Star Trek: First Contact) The vessel included some of Starfleet's most recent technological advances. Primary amongst these was a large quantum torpedo launcher mounted forward of the deflector dish above the Captain's yacht, which was capable of firing at least four rounds per second. Backup to the quantum torpedoes was provided by photon tubes; four of these were located at the base of the engineering section in pairs which face forward and aft. These launchers can fire up to 12 torpedoes at a time. The warp engines of the Sovereign''s were of a new design which eliminated subspace distortion effects inherent to standard warp drives without the use of variable geometry nacelles (as found on the [[Intrepid class|''Intrepid-class]] - see also Hekaras Corridor). (Star Trek: Nemesis) Construction History In 2372, the Sovereign class [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]] was launched from spacedock. At least one other, the class prototype [[USS Sovereign|USS Sovereign]], is in service. The Sovereign in combat One of the Sovereign class' first major engagements came in 2373, when the USS Enterprise saw action in the Borg incursion into Sector 001, and was instrumental in the destruction of the attacking cube. (Star Trek: First Contact) Shortly after the resolution of the Dominion War, a refitting of the Sovereign class took place. These included three extra aft facing torpedo tubes, along with one more forward facing tube; a twin launcher aft of the bridge, single launchers above the aft hangar deck, and at the base of the forward bridge terracing. Additionally, four extra phaser arrays were added to the nacelle pylons to cover an existing blind spot. The Enterprise was able to deploy these new systems in 2379 when it faced the Reman Scimitar in the Bassen Rift. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Technical Data Physical arrangement The Sovereign class had two hull sections, a saucer-shaped primary hull and a secondary hull which mounted the two warp nacelles (design sketches indicate the hulls were capable of saucer separation but such was never seen on screen). (Star Trek: First Contact) Command and control systems The computer system onboard the Sovereign class were bio-neural gel pack based. Computer systems were concentrated in two computer cores. The primary core was located directly below the Main Bridge on decks 6 through 8. The secondary core was located in the engineer section, adjacent to Environmental Control, on decks 15 through 17. Propulsion systems Sovereign class ships achieved warp flight through two warp nacelles, which housed multiple pairs of warp coils. Maximum speed was warp 9.7, which could be maintained for a limited number of hours. (Star Trek: First Contact) The warp core spanned several decks in the engineering hull. The deuterium tanks were above the core, while antimatter storage pods surrounded the base of the core. There were two impulse engines, both located at the aft of the saucer section. Tactical systems The Sovereign class employed fourteen Type-XII phaser arrays at key locations throughout the ship's hull. Five dorsal phaser arrays were located on the primary hull, one extending around the saucer section, giving it an oval appearance. Four more arrays, roughly a quarter of the size of the original, covered the aft dorsal firing arcs and were located along the aft portion of the saucer section. Two ventral phaser arrays were located on the primary hull, extending around in nearly a half circle on both the starboard and port ventral sides of the saucer section. A single phaser array was located along the ventral section of the engineering hull, running perpendicular to the hull. Four traditional fixed-focus second generation torpedo launchers were located within the engineering hull, with the fore and aft covered by two launchers each. The forward launchers were located beneath the navigational deflector. Each launcher was capable of loading five torpedoes in one salvo, typically launching them in an alternating interval to reduce the chance of collision in flight. The aft launchers, located on the underside of the hull, were slightly smaller assemblies, capable of loading only one torpedo at a time each. The Sovereign class is normally outfitted with both photon and quantum torpedoes. (Star Trek: First Contact) A custom assembly for the Sovereign class was a second-generation automated launcher located on the underside of the saucer section, capable of preloading six torpedoes for rapid fire. In addition, the aft launcher was located on the upperside of the back of the saucer section. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Deflector shields Deflector shields serve as defense against enemy fire, hazardous radiation, and micro-meteoroid particles. The shields, when raised, stay extremely close to the hull to conserve energy; the average range of which is approximately ten meters away from the hull. This can be extended at great energy expenditure, theoretically even to envelope another starship or object within close distance of the vessel. (Star Trek: Nemesis) Interior Design Main Bridge Primary operational control of the Sovereign class was provided by the Main Bridge, located at the top of the primary hull. The bridge directly supervised all primary mission operations and coordinated all departmental activities. The bridge was an ejectable module, allowing for a wider variety in mission parameters as well as an emergency escape route. The primary bridge configuration of the new Sovereign-class is slowly becoming one of the standard bridge designs for fleetwide application in newer starships. The central area of the Main Bridge provided seating and information displays for the captain and two other officers. The captain's chair was raised from the rest of the bridge officers, to that of the surrounding level which included Tactical and Operations. The two officer seats were equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses. Directly fore of the command area was the Conn Officer, who faced the main viewer. To the port side of the Conn officer, also facing the main viewer, was the Operations manager's console - which was identical in size and design to the Helm station. At the very front of the bridge chamber was a large viewscreen. When the screen was not active, a standard bulkhead was present. Aft and to the left of the command area is an elevated platform on which tactical and security consoles are located. To the captain's right, behind the tactical console, is the Mission Operations section of the bridge. Against the starboard side walls of the main bridge were the consoles for Sciences along with others that were programmable for a multitude of functions. Located against the aft wall of the bridge is a large master systems display monitor, similar to the one in Main Engineering. All relevant ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the vessel. This monitor could be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. Also located against the aft wall of the main bridge is the large Engineering console. This had a smaller cutaway diagram of the vessel, which displayed all engineering-relevant data and showed warp fields and engine output. There are two turbolifts on the bridge that can handle normal transit around the Sovereign class. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to lower decks. There is also one door, on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Observation Lounge, which is directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room. (Star Trek: First Contact) Main Engineering Located on Deck 16, Main Engineering had access to almost all systems aboard the starship, and managed repairs, power flow, and general maintenance. Entrance to the primary engineering spaces was provided by two large blast doors, a pair each deck on Decks 15 and 16, that could be closed for internal or external security reasons, as well as in case of emergencies. (Star Trek: Insurrection) In the centre of the room was the matter/anti-matter reaction assembly. This was where primary power for the ship was generated inside the matter/anti-matter reaction chamber. Usable consoles were mounted on the walls surrounding it, providing primary control access for the engineers and technicians. Additionally, there were numerous ladders and access panels to Jefferies tubes, leading throughout the starship. A second tier ringed the second level of Main Engineering on Deck 15. Two ladders on the opposite ends of the catwalk provided access. (Star Trek: First Contact) By 2379 Starfleet began addressing a long standing defensive oversight by implementing a force field system around the warp reactor. (Star Trek: Nemesis) : It is unknown at this time exactly what role the reactor core force field plays in protecting the ship. During its only shown use, the force field was disabled in battle mere minutes after it was activated. How this helps the ship is a mystery due to the lack of a force field around the reaction chamber. (However, this could possibly be to protect it when the Main Engineering crew fights Intruders?) A similar tactic was employed in VOY: Day of Honor by B'Elanna Torres when she had a Level 10 force field surround USS Voyager's Main Engineering right before she ejected the warp core. '' Medical Facilities One large Sickbay facility, located on Deck 7, served as the primary care facility on ''Sovereign class starships. Equipped with six standard and one advanced bio-bed, Sickbay was also home to the Chief Medical Officer's office and a small lab used for routine analysis of patients. The room itself was considered to be general-purpose, often the location of regular crew physicals, appointments, and various medical emergencies - it could effectively handle the majority of situations that a starship crew will face. (Star Trek: First Contact) Located near Sickbay was the counselor's office. A modest room approximately the size of a standard living room compartment, it could easily be placed somewhere within the residential areas of the ship at the counselor's discretion. While decorated to the tastes of the staff using it, the office tended to be equipped with comfortable seating and colors to better relax its visitors. (Star Trek: First Contact) Crew Quarters The arrangement of living quarters was designed to be modular, so that at any time, a particular area could be reconfigured to create larger or smaller residential areas. Most living areas were located on the upper and lower surfaces of the saucer section, offering residents a remarkable view of the starscape outside their windows. As is common on Starfleet vessels, the living accomodations for senior officers and VIPs are larger than standard crew quarters. Officers' quarters usually include a living area in the centre of the dwelling, which holds a personal workstation, couch, replicator and a small dining area. Connected to this is a bedroom that features a double-sized bed and room for personal belongings. Normally, the bedroom is connected by a half-bathroom with wash basin, mirror, several drawers and a sonic shower. For senior staff officers, this bathroom is usually upgraded to a full-sized bathroom with bathtub. (Star Trek: Insurrection) Shuttlebay Located at the dorsal stern of the primary hull, the Main Shuttlebay took up a significant portion of the aft section of Decks 6 through 9 on the Sovereign class. Due to the mission profile of the Sovereign, the shuttlebay extended larger than normal for a vessel its size to accommodate runabouts and several shuttlecraft. The secondary Shuttlebay was located at the very aft portion of the engineering hull, an homage to the ''Constitution''-class shuttlebay. This bay, while smaller than the Main Shuttlebay, was just as capable of handling flight operations as the Main Shuttlebay. (Star Trek: First Contact) Ships Commissioned *[[USS Sovereign|USS Sovereign]] *[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-E) Appendices Appearances *Star Trek: First Contact *Star Trek: Insurrection *Star Trek: Nemesis Background The Sovereign class was designed by production designer Herman Zimmerman with illustrator John Eaves. Rick Sternbach did the working construction drawings of the model, which was built at Industrial Light and Magic. Comments made by Rick Sternbach on the TrekBBS give the Sovereign class a designation of Heavy Cruiser, a mass of 3,205,000 metric tons, an apparent crew complement of 855, and a maximum cruising speed of warp 9.7. He also stated that it was the intent that the Sovereign Class be the replacement for the ''Excelsior'' class. These facts have yet to be confirmed in canon. Apocrypha Sovereign class starships have been mentioned often in novels and games. A role-playing game supplement from Decipher mentions the Sovereign, Yorktown and Independence. External Links Sovereign Changes - DITL's Graham Kennedy details the changes made to the Sovereign class between Insurrection and Nemesis. Category:Starship classes de:Sovereign-Klasse